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So, this is the final round for Hertzberg v. Horvath.
Both are progressive Democrats. Both say that they want to make abortion on demand available at all times and everywhere.
And yet, even then there are some differences between the two candidates as they battle to replace Creepy Sheila Kuehl on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
Election 2022: Bob Hertzberg, Lindsey Horvath put abortion at
forefront of LA County supervisor battle
The
issues aimed at voters on the Westside of LA and San Fernando Valley are
abortion and crime
By STEVE SCAUZILLO | sscauzillo@scng.com | Daily News
PUBLISHED: |
UPDATED:
Two prominent issues raised by mailbox stuffers and
online video ads in the battle for the District 3 open seat on the powerful Los
Angeles County Board of Supervisors are abortion rights and crime.
Hopefully, crime will be the bigger focus, since crime is out of control in Los Angeles County.
And they are also the same topics echoing across the
nation in this midterm election on Nov. 8.
But in this race, the two candidates are not running for
national office but instead are vying to represent 1.2 million county residents
in a district that includes 431 square miles, from West Hollywood and Beverly
Hills to Santa Monica and Malibu, to the San Fernando Valley. And in this
instance both are Democrats running for a county board in a nonpartisan race,
so votes are up for grabs not only from Democrats, but from those registered as
“decline to state” and Republicans.
Pretty sure that the Republicans and the Decline-to-State
Since the national right to
an abortion was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, Democrats in national
races have focused on supporting a women’s right to choose. In Los Angeles
County, state Sen. Bob Hertzberg and West Hollywood City Council member Lindsey
Horvath are slugging it out over who is the strongest advocate for abortion
rights, an issue that the Board of Supervisors has little say over, but one
that reverberates in a blue state.
Exactly. Abortion is not the main issue for a county government. Running the county government is supposed to be their main focus.
“It (running on restoring
abortion rights) will help Democrats do better than otherwise,” said Jack
Pitney, the Roy P. Crocker Professor of Politics at Claremont McKenna College.
“This year, abortion is a serious issue among Democrats. It is not surprising
they are talking about it.”
But what do you do when both candidates are abortionists? How can they hope to distinguish themselves?
Horvath’s campaign put out a mailer reminding voters she
is the only candidate endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project Los
Angeles County Action Fund. In the mailer, it says Horvath is “100% pro-choice”
and says she will “make sure L.A. County provides access to safe, legal
abortions and reproductive healthcare services.”
Hertzberg got help from independent expenditure
committees, which put out several mailers, one of which quoted the California
Catholic Daily as saying “(Horvath) believes life begins at conception and that
abortion is the termination of life, views that more commonly align with those
who are pro-life.” That two-page mailer was paid for by the Alliance to End
Homelessness in Support of Bob Hertzberg for L.A. County Supervisor 2022.
That mailer sounds like a fake mailer from the Democratic operatives helping Horvath. Just a thought …
Horvath is quoted in a recent Los Angeles Magazine
article, saying she compares herself to other Catholic, pro-choice Democrats,
such as President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In 2014, she told
an interviewer with Cal State Fullerton she identified as pro-choice when she
moved to California. She told Los Angeles Magazine: “All of the people and
organizations committed to fighting against the repugnant, unjust decision of
the Supreme Court to repeal Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and
potentially the right to privacy overall, stand with me because I stand firmly
and proudly with them.”
Another independent expenditure group mailed an ad to
district residents saying Hertzberg is “the only candidate with a 100% Planned
Parenthood Record.” This one was paid for by First Responders in Support of Bob
Hertzberg for Supervisor 2022 and sponsored by several groups, including Los
Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, Service Employees International
Union Local 721, Los Angeles County Firefighters Local 1014 and Association for
Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS).
It's a sick world we live in, here in Los Angeles County. We have two candidates who are marshalling every resource to be the biggest and baddest baby-killed possible. It's just disgusting.
Horvath’s campaign responded
that Hertzberg’s scorecard was thanks to his work in the state legislature.
“Bob’s backers know she’s 100% pro-choice but they are desperately trying to
save his failing campaign,” said Estevan Montemayor, Horvath’s campaign
spokesperson, in a written statement.
Lawrence Becker, a political science professor at Cal State
Northridge, said it was a little unusual for local candidates to focus on
abortion rights. “I would add, there isn’t a lot of daylight between the
positions of the two candidates on abortion. They are trying to outdo the
other.”
Right.
He said abortion was part of a “signaling game” in which
the candidates want to identify themselves as the best candidate by showcasing
an issue on voters’ minds.
The issue of crime and public safety is one in which
Hertzberg’s supporters have taken the lead on his behalf. In one mailer, he is
seen talking to men in law enforcement uniforms. The kicker reads: “The only
candidate endorsed by our first responders.” This was paid for by First
Responders in Support of Bob Hertzberg for Supervisor 2022.
Hertzberg does have more of the union endorsements, and if crime is the number one issue for voters on the Westside, then presumably Hertzberg will have the advantage.
“When you think about best ways to motivate people to
vote, it’s fear. Fear of crime and saying, ‘I’m going to keep you safe,’ ”
Becker explained.
Hertzberg’s campaign noted that the messages of
independent groups are not authorized nor controlled by the candidate.
Hertzberg’s biggest endorsement comes from Gov. Gavin
Newsom, whose campaign video ad says he and Hertzberg worked together to pass
laws on gun safety, environmental protection, abortion rights and homeless
housing.
This endorsement is certainly interesting. Will this be enough to get Hertzberg across the finish line?
Horvath recorded a video talking about her efforts to
combat homelessness, access to abortion and support for clean air and water.
She describes herself in the video as “a renter, a small business owner and a
city councilwoman.”
Hertzberg has often spoken about
rising crime rates in interviews with this newspaper and during debates. A Southern California News
Group poll, conducted
by J. Wallin Opinion Research, surveyed 400 likely voters in Los Angeles
about the biggest issues facing the city,
When voters were asked this
open-ended question: “Which three issues should be the top priorities” of the
mayor and City Council, their top answer was that the mayor and City Council
should address homelessness. The second-most cited priority was “protecting our
community from crime, drugs, gangs and graffiti.” Nearly 41% cited crime and
public safety as a top issue, followed
by inflation, affordable housing, improving schools, racial equality and social
justice, cutting taxes and fees and reducing traffic congestion.
No one is talking about abortion, even in Los Angeles County? That's quite surprising.
Pitney called crime “a kitchen table issue” often spoken
about during meals. But nationally, this issue has been used by Republicans to
hammer Democrats for appearing soft on crime. In this race, Hertzberg may be
reaching out to Republican and independent voters by showing his support from
law enforcement groups, Pitney said.
He said it makes a lot of sense for the candidates to
address crime because the Board of Supervisors has jurisdiction, both in
determining the Sheriff Department budget and in broader ways, such as keeping
parks safe and streets well lit to deter crime.
“The Democrats have learned that they have to talk about
it, too,” Pitney said. “People are worried about the issue of crime.”
Here's the final set of endorsements each candidate has received:
Endorsements: Hertzberg was endorsed by Newsom,
West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister, L.A. County Federation of Labor,
California Nurses Association, SEIU Local 99, Sen. Alex Padilla, Reps. Tony
Cardenas and Brad Sherman, Association for L.A. Deputy Sheriffs, state Attorney
General Rob Bonta, CHIRLA, and Valley Industry & Commerce Assn.
Horvath was endorsed by four of the five supervisors
including Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who is vacating the seat, the Sierra
Club-Los Angeles Chapter, Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, Center for
Biological Diversity Action Fund, Los Angeles County Democratic Party and
Planned Parenthood.
Some diversity would be welcome on the LA County Board of Supervisors, I think.
District: Includes 431 square miles from West
Hollywood and Beverly Hills to Santa Monica and Malibu, to the San Fernando
Valley. Population is 1.2 million.
Candidates: Bob Hertzberg, 67, state
senator; Lindsey Horvath, 40, West Hollywood City Council member. In June
primary, Hertzberg got 105,923 votes (31%) while Horvath got 94,528 votes
(28%).
One thing to know: Supervisor Sheila Kuehl is not
running, making this an open seat. Voters will be electing a new supervisor to
sit on the five-member board.